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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pop — to visit
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pop — soda
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. fine — all right
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com